At the MWC 2019, which was held in the month of February, Huawei launched its first foldable smartphone that is called the Mate X. The only considerable rival to this device is Samsung’s Galaxy Fold which likewise is the first foldable phone from the Korean electronics giant. Unfortunately, due to display issues and quality concerns, Samsung had to pushback the commercial availability of its offering.
Following Samsung, Huawei also delayed the availability date of the Mate X without providing a satisfactory reason. While the reiterated Galaxy Fold went on sale previously, Huawei has today announced the commercial availability of its foldable smartphone. The Mate X with updated Kirin 980 SoC and 5G compatibility will go on sale starting 10:08 AM October 15 onwards.
The handset carries a steep price tag of Yuan 16,999 (~$2403) however, due to its unique form factor, its limited quantities are predicted to sell out quickly. At the previously mentioned launch event which took place earlier today, Huawei also shed light upon the two main reasons which delayed the Mate X’s commercial launch in the first place.
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Firstly, Huawei wanted to ensure that the device matches the longevity and durability expectations that its potential customers would have. Having said that, it would also safeguard the company from any criticism that Samsung was subjected to after its CEO admitted that he rushed the Galaxy Fold before it was ready.
The second reason was Huawei wanted to make sure its first foldable handset provides seamless user experience and the delay has allowed the company to further enhance it by refining the compatibility between the hardware and software. To note, the Mate X 5G comes with the older Kirin 980 processor, instead of the new Kirin 990. So, it probably took the company a while to perfect the hardware and software experience on this new form factor.
Huawei has also revealed that its foldable smartphone with Kirin 990 and 5G will launch in the month of March, next year and it will be dubbed the Mate XS.
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